PASSION
by mirandagoshwack
Summary: Lily's dad is the Minister of Magic.She comes home,hoping to spend an uneventful week.She's in for a shock as she realises how her dad has appointed a BODYGUARD for her.sexy,mysterious James Potter.will their relatnshp change from hatred to passionate?R&R
1. Chapter 1

**PASSION**

**A/n : hey guys ! this is my third fanfic . i couldn't finish just can't get enough since i joined med school and things got really busy . but i'm going to take out time for this fanfic . i hope you guys enjoy it . :)**

**PLEASE REVIEW !**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 - <strong>

_The dark figure moved smoothly across the forest grounds , barely crushing any twigs or fallen branches as it seemed to hover like a ghost towards its destination ; the centre of the forest where a tall, heavy elderly man was barely visible . Standing with his wand luminous , he was talking to a younger, burly chap . _

_" Derek , this is not a part of our prior negotiations ! What you desire is a ..a blasphemy !"_

_"John, my dear friend. I know how you are feeling right now. But you cannot back out of this. I want names. I want their names and their identity proofs submitted on my desk tomorrow. And within a week, I want their Death Certificates in my drawer. Do you understand that?" said the older man._

_"With all due respect, sir . " said the other man in a tone that clearly lacked respect , " I think I have to remind you that you are the Minister for Magic. You gave me your word that you will protect me but that wretched Auror Head of yours is tailing me! If he catches me red-handed, even you can't save me. So, Derek , I'm just going to turn myself in."_

_"One word . Azkaban. " said Derek_

_John flinched on the mention of Azkaban. He knew perfectly well what all he was going to put at risk. His honour , reputation, family glory and of course..his sanity . He wouldn't last for long with those soul-sucking monsters around. And he had done terrible things. Things he regretted so deeply now..but if he goes down, then .._

_"I'm afraid I won't be the only one going there . " he said fiercely as he drew out his wand , pointing it at Derek. "Expelliarmus ! "_

_" Now, now John . That's very foolish indeed . " said Derek , his face faintly visible under the full moon . "It was a pleasure working with you. I'm sorry but your services will no longer be required . " he said and smiled at a very confused looking John._

_It happened in a fraction of a second . A flash of green light and John lay dead , sprawled with his massive limbs spread wide on the cold forest ground. _

_"Thank you, Potter " said Derek , watching the dark figure march towards him._

_" It was a mistake to hire him." said Potter, removing his heavy black cloak and hood . His hazel eyes sparkled with purpose and determination as he looked at his mentor, his role model and father-figure , Derek Evans . " So what next, sir? "_

_"I think I won't be personally needing you for a while ." said Derek , smiling a bit as he saw the affronted look on James's dark and handsome features . "But you will be spending an awful amount of time at the mansion."_

_"I don't understand sir."_

_"My daughter is coming back home from America and I want her to be protected at all times. "_

_"Ofcourse sir. "_

_" James, I know this is not included in your list of duties but- "_

_"Serving you and following your orders is my duty, sir. Don't wory. I'll watch over Miss Evans."_

_"Thank you Potter. "_

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><p>"So what did he say? " said Po<p>

" Who?" I said, as we got into the Ministry cars dad had sent to pick us up from the airport.

"Stop being such a prude! You people have been together since ages! It's about time you did the nasty with him. "

"Shhh..! Po! "

"What?"

"These people work for my dad ! And as for Jake..I just wasn't ready, you know. I'm not comfortable with my..my body."

"Fuck you, Lils. You have a hot body . Look at me ! I have baby fat every where and yet I lost my virginity in junior year! Besides, if the guy really loves you he won't care. "

"Ok ok . I know, Po . But he's not the one . You know what I mean? I just don't get that feeling when I'm with him..you know the one I used to get whenever I saw – "

"Nathaniel. Yep, and we both know how well _that_ turned out." grimaced Po

"I heard he's back home. Do you think I-"

"NO, Lils, NO! Nathaniel Mason is not the one. He's evil! And as your best friend, I can't allow you to date that douche again . Okay? Repeat after me. Nat –is - evil !"

I rolled my eyes at Po who then pinched me playfully . "Ouch! Hey , I think we've reached. "

"Wow..i missed your home. Sorry, mansion. Sorry , Quarters of the Minister for Magic. Sorry, the most luxurious mansion in the whole of England."

"Ok . You can stop, Po." I laughed as we looked through the windows at my home. The last time I visited home was when we had just moved in here. 3 years ago , when dad had been appointed Minister of Magic. And well…that was the first time I'd met Nat..

"What are all those people waiting outside for? And where's your dad?"

"Busy, I guess." I sighed "Still, they are all here. Nina the cook, Frank the butler, Gerard, Duke, Roger, Jacob and Stephen the gardeners, Brian the substitute butler and Hank the pool cleaner ."

"You have a substitute butler? " laughed Po as we stepped out of the car. We wished and talked to everyone before retiring to our respective rooms.

"I'm really exhausted ! Wake me up at 3, okay?" said Po as she shut her door.

I walked into my room, collapsing on my soft bed . I can't believe school's over. In 2 days I'll be turning 18 and I'll be busy applying for a training college. I have perfect grades for joining St Mungos School for Wizard Healing and Research . So does Po. I hope we both make it. And dad sort of joked about me not having to worry at all since he's the Minister and all..but still, I'd rather get in on merit basis. Rather than being the only daughter of the Minister basis .

I got up lazily from the bed and walked into the bathroom. It was larger than my room at Gordon's. I ran a bath and searched for toiletteries. Good, everything's there. I climbed into the bath tub and relaxed, the hot water instantly soothing my senses. Okay, so I have this week free. And then I'll get into college, hopefully..and things will be on track. I wonder where Nat is..he was in he finished his seventh year a week before I did. So maybe he's already in college now. But where? Auror training? No Nat's not the Auror type..but he's here..okay Lils, remember what Po said!

"Nathaniel – is – evil ." I said it aloud.

I could see his face in my mind. So awfully clearly. In excruciating detail. His blonde, curly hair falling a bit in his piercing blue eyes. No, stop.."Nathaniel-is – evil ."

"_Dad , I don't want to be here ! I don't like any of these stupid prize distribution events you force me to visit!"_

"_Lily , please smile at the camera. We'll talk about this later, honey."_

"_Dad? Are you even listening to me?"_

_I gave my most perfect, fake smile and waited for the horrendously long photo session to get over. Apparently, this event was very important for dad because it was the prize distribution ceremony of not only his favourite muggle game –golf – but also because, this was a muggle event and dad had been invited by the Prime Minister. Oh boo ._

"_We request our Chief Guest, Mr Derek Evans , esteemed President of the Golf Club,London to distribute the prizes to the winners…"_

"_This has to be the crappiest day ever. " I moaned to myself . I looked down at what I was wearing . A pale yellow , hand finished and embroidered skirt and blouse, a white hat and yellow wedges . Arghhh..I hate all of this. Being the Minister's daughter at only 15 ! Having to wear such silly outfits, posing around in public for stupid photos with dad. _

"_And now the winner of the under 18 golf tournament, Mr Nathaniel Mason !" rang the emcee's voice._

_That's when I saw him..He walked casually towards dad, a broad and confident smile plastered across his face. He was way too good looking for my liking. Curly, blonde hair , perfectly white and even teeth, long nose , highly kissable lips and blue eyes..It was instant. I was staring at him awestruck as he shook hands with dad and accepted his trophy. I shook my head and looked around to see all the other girls staring at him too. A few were cheering for him shouting, "Yay Nat !"_

_So they ALL know him? Nathaniel…Nat.. I looked away from him and the girls and walked upto the refreshments corner. I ordered for an ice tie and sat on one of the chairs , sipping the delicious drink. I wish Po was here. Sorry, Pomona. I don't know what was wrong with her. Ever since we turned 14, she's been acting slightly weird. Wearing makeup all the time, commenting on boring stuff like clothes and shoes..and now asking me to start calling her by her real name. Bah..Pomona!_

"_Hey, mind if I join you?" said a male voice suddenly, making me startle and accidently pour my ice tea all over the front of my blouse. Darn._

"_I'm sorry. Here . " he said , handing me a handkerchief . I took it from him and looked up , nearly squeaking , "Thanks ! " Oh my God. It was him! Nathaniel Mason. What was he doing here? And why the hell does he have to look so freaking good?_

"_I haven't seen you around. Are you new here?" he said, sitting on a chair opposite me as I wiped the tea off my now ruined dress. He's even more insanely good looking when he's closer. And those eyes.._

"_Yeah , this is the first time I'm attending this event. I'm Lily Evans." I said , smiling at him. His eyes are so beautiful..piercing blue.._

"_Lily Evans? You are the Minister's daughter? So you're a witch. I'm Nathaniel Mason .Good! Where do you study?"_

"_Oh. I thought you were a muggle ! " I said , taken aback at all the questions being thrown at me ." Yeah, I study in Gordon School of Witchcraft and Wizardry . It's in LA."_

"_Cool. I go to good ol' Hogwarts . So you are here for only a few days then , right?" _

"_Yeah. School starts in a week. " I said, trying not to stare into his eyes . Seriously, one could drown in the depths of those blue orbs._

"_So, I guess you have a new company now for the next week." he said, standing up and extending his hand towards me._

"_Yeah. I guess so too." I said, blushing a little as I held his hand and stood up, smiling at him._

"NATHANIEL-IS –EVIL!" I shouted as tears rolled down my eyes. Why? Why did he still have such a strong hold over me? Even after all these years..I climbed out of the bath and wrapped myself in a towel. It was tiny. Reaching just below my arse. Good, I've grown taller.

I walked upto the mirror in the bathroom and wiped away the drops of condensation. As I stared at myself, I smiled. This is me now. This is the new, confident, intelligent Lily Evans. I don't need Nat. He's not worth it. I'm looking more and more like mom each day..I ran my fingers through my sleek elbow length auburn hair and stared back into my eyes, my mother's eyes. Perfectly almond shaped emerald green eyes. I loved my eyes and I loved it even more when people told me how they looked exactly like mom's. I wish mom could be here to see me now..

I sighed and wiped away my tears as I pushed the door open . No sooner had I stepped into my room, I slipped on a pool of water I hadn't noticed before.

"ARGHHHHHHH …..!" I shrieked and closed my eyes reflexively. But I didn't feel the impact of the floor against my head . I didn't feel agonising pain shooting through my body. What I did feel were somebody's arms. A very male somebody with strong, slightly hairy arms around my waist ..

I opened my eyes in a flash, looking back into cold, hazel ones. What the fuck?

I shouted and pushed the freak with my hands. He didn't budge.

"POPPY !"

There was a 'pop' as the house elf apparated. Meanwhile, the intruder had helped me into a standing position. I ran to the other corner of the room and glared at him." Who the fuck are you? And what are you doing in my bedroom? Poppy ! How did he get in here? What happened to the security around this place? I'M GOING TO TELL DAD !" I yelled.

"Miss Evans , I'm your personal security guard. Your father appointed me to watch over you and protect you at all times." he said, in a bored voice , crossing his arms across his chest. He was wearing a pair of blue faded denims and a grey t-shirt. He looked far too young to be my protector or whatever!

"WHAT? I don't need a stinking bodyguard! Poppy. Get him out of here."

"Poppy is sorry Miss Evans . Mr Evans ordered Poppy to take care of Mr Potter. Mr Potter will be staying at the mansion, Miss Evans." said the house elf, worriedly.

"WHAT? Okay fine. I'm going to talk to dad and then we'll see . And Potter or whatever your name is. You can stay in any of our 15 guest rooms but not in my room. SO GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE !"

"Sure, Miss Evans." he said, again in that annoying bored voice and turned to leave.

"Lils, what's going on?" said Po as she entered the room, wearing only a t-shirt and underwear. Oh just great. This guy has seen way too much skin for the day. "Who's he?"

"Get out!" I yelled at Potter who left , passing Po at the door.

"Oh my God! Lily Evans , you sly minx! Who was that yummy guy?" crooned Po as she closed the door and sat on my bed."And why are you in only a towel?"

"Poppy. Leave!"

There was a pop as Poppy disapparated. "Po, you won't believe this. He's supposed to be…that guy is supposed to be my bodyguard!"

"Wow . So he'll be with us all the time?"

"I'm afraid so. I'm really sorry Po. I know how you wanted to enjoy and all but..this guy has-"

"Are you kidding me, Lily? This is going to be the best week ever! " squealed Po as she lay down.

Oh crap..my best friend has a crush on my body guard. Oh, just great.


	2. Chapter 2

**DISCLAIMER : Anything you recognize belongs to JKR !**

**A/n : I was waiting for your reviews, people ! Thankyou _DarkBlackRose_s for your review . I don't think I could've continued writing without it!**

**And thankyou SarcasticBl0nde,Kitkat10595,Michael4HPGW, Selena Lupin, Madame Baggio,m3ggi3, Glorriette,ShinabaMorotomo & DarkBlackRoses for adding Passion on story alert . But seriously, **

**PLEASE DO REVIEW ! MEANS A LOT TO ME and it's the only thing that makes me wanna continue writing!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"Dad , you can't be serious about this!" I groaned, kicking his huge mahogany desk after every syllable.

"Lily, this is for your protection. Do you think your old man doesn't worry about you all the time?" said dad, not even bothering to look at me. He was busy signing parchments and it was so darn frustrating.

"Okay . Fine, dad. I'm leaving now. I'll talk to you later. When you actually have time for me." I said, standing up .

"Honey , I'm so-"

"Save it, dad. You know ..bunk. Whatever! " I said as I walked out into the waiting room.

Po was sitting on one of the futons , reading the _Witch Weekly! _"Wow, that was quick." she said , as I held her hand, forcing her to get up."Okay, okay. Let's go then."

"I hate him, Po. He's never been there for me. It's always work, work , work ! I come here , all the way from America and he's not even there to welcome me back at home! And then, I have to go to his office! " I cried, as we entered the lobby on the floor of Level 1. Potter was waiting for us. Oh boo. Was I imagining it, but did he just have a tiny smile playing on his lips a second ago?

"Lily, be mature. Think about how your father has provided for you over the years. You are a fine lady today, thanks to his wise decisions regarding your education, lifestyle, friend circle. Especially, your friend circle. I'm always there for you, Lils. Don't worry, everything will be alright." smiled Po.

Hahaha. This was so not Po. Normally, whenever I bring up the topic on dad, she joins in and we bitch about how shitty our dads are. Her parents are divorced and her dad's a muggle movie director. She sees him once in 2 years. The last time we visited him was during his second wedding. With a 22 year old ! I knew this whole mature talk was on account of how Potter was walking right behind us. Oh boo.

We got into the elevator. Po was still going on about how lucky I was to have great friends in my life or something. I wasn't really listening. "Are we visiting Jane ? Which level does she work at?" I said as two other people entered.

"Department of International Magical Cooperation, Level 5." said Po, a familiar i-know-I'm-not-just-pretty-but-smart-too smile forming on her perfectly glossed lips.

The elevator had barely had barely moved , when I heard the cool female disembodied voice announce, "_Level 2, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Auror office-"_

The doors opened and before I realised what was happening, I had already stepped out. Around four more people got in after me. I could distinctly hear Po yelling my name. she and Potter were probably trapped in there, but I didn't care. I kept walking, my mind was becoming blank. I know why I'm here. I shouldn't be but I have to find out. This was stupid, I know it was totally stupid. But I couldn't help it. It's been 3 years. 3 whole years.

"Lily ! What is wrong with you?" cried Po as she caught hold of my arm."Lily, I'm talking to you! Merlin, Lily. Stop staring at that damn door!Okay, what is so –" she stopped abruptly as she comprehended my sudden inability to speak. "Nathaniel Mason, Auror." she read in horrified tones.

"Miss Evans, we have to get going. I'm afraid you don't have the desired authority on this floor." said Potter, in a slightly amused tone rather than his usual bored one.

"I'm the Minister's daughter. " I said, turning to face him . "So, bite me ." And with that, I turned towards the door, and pushed it open.

"Merlin, Lils. You've gone bonkers." said Po as she followed me inside. The office was empty. It was tiny. Of course, he probably had just started working. Potter thankfully was waiting outside. I walked straight upto his desk and opened his drawers. There wasn't anything much in there. A few stacks of parchment , wrappers of _Bertie Botts every flavour beans _and a few _Chocolate frog_ cards. I went through all the stuff when I saw it. A letter. Or rather, a crumpled up parchment. I took it out, my hands shaking slightly as I smoothened the parchment on the desk. There was a chewing gum in it. I flicked it aside with my wand, my eyes instantly filling up with tears. Tears of hurt. Po leaned over to read it with me.

_Dear Nat,_

_I miss you so much. I know you must be really busy , so you probably don't have the time to write lengthy letters to me. I believe in you, baby. I know you can get the required NEWTs to pursue whatever career you desire. Why won't you tell me exactly what it is? I have a feeling that you want to become an Auror. Or it could be a Quidditch player too. But I doubt the possibility of it being the latter because you keep asking me for help with your Potions homework. _

_I think about you everyday, Nat . I know we are not together now. As a couple. But I can't wait to come back home. You said, you'll ask me out then, right? I've waited for you Nat. I love you so much. Po told me not to write to me anymore. She said that she got a letter from Jane saying that you were dating someone. But you wrote me in the last letter that you haven't been with anyone since I , I believe you Nat. Jane probably heard it from someone . You know how girls are! Gossip mongers! _

_I really wish I could write more in this letter but I have to include the 12 inch essay you asked for and I don't think my owl can manage carrying anything heavier than this. Do feed her please._

_Love,_

_L.E_

A single drop of tear fell on the torn piece of parchment as I looked away hurriedly. Po had held my hand the whole time and she was squeezing it gently now.

"I was such an idiot, Po." I cried, hugging her.

"It's okay, baby. It's okay. We all make mistakes when in love. Don't worry, Lils. We don't need that douche in our lives anymore, ok?" she said, patting my back lovingly.

"Hey, you girls better get out of there. Mason's going to be in there in a minute!" said Potter, pushing the door open suddenly and making me and Po jump in fright.

"Geesh! Come on Po!" I laughed as we bolted to the door. We nearly ran till we reached the elevator. "Lils, aren't you coming to meet Jane?" she said when we reached Level 5.

I hadn't even realised the elevator was moving, which is saying something considering how uncomfortable these rides were. "No..not exactly." I said in a small voice

"It's okay . You can go and wait by the car . I'll be back in 5 minutes , okay?" said Po, squeezing my hand. I smiled at her and watched her leave. The doors shut behind her and it was just Potter and me in the elevator.

"This sad look doesn't suit you." he said.

I turned around in disbelief, "Talking without permission doesn't suit you."

He was quiet till we reached the Ministry car. I got in and was surprised to see Potter sit beside me instead of the co-driver's seat. I chose to ignore him as we waited for Po to come but clearly he had other intentions. " I hope you don't like Mason coz' me and him aren't exactly the closest mates."

That definitely caught my attention. "Mason? Do you know Nathaniel?"

"You realise that I'm an Auror, right?" he said, cocking a brow.

"Yeah, yeah . Of course!" I said a bit too hurriedly.

He laughed, "What? You thought just because I baby sit you, I'm not a trained official?"

"No, no ! Ofcourse not." I said, looking at my feet. The car door suddenly opened and Po entered, sitting beside me effectively pushing me closer to Potter."So, how's Jane?"

"Just fab ! And guess what, we are having a sleepover tonight! At her place !" gushed Po excitedly.

"NO!" I said, clapping a hand to my mouth in disbelief. "Seriously?"

"Yes! And it gets better. Alice, Marlene, Kate and Jen are all going to be there!"

"Oh my God ! Po, you 're the best !" I said, hugging her. She snorted which meant that she was secretly pleased that I'd realised the whole thing was her idea.

"When are we leaving? We have to pack stuff for the night . Oh my God! This is going to be so much fun! I really missed those guys. Can't believe they were in Hogwarts the whole time! We've missed out on so much, right? But now we are.." I stopped talking as I noticed how Po wasn't looking at me anymore. I turned to see Potter cross and uncross his arms across his chest. He was tapping his foot too and was looking out of the window, with the weirdest expression forming on his face. I haven't seen any other expression apart from arrogance or sheer boredom on that face!

I looked at Po and we both tried our best to supress our laughter.

Oh God..this was going to be a fun night..

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><p>"Who's up for a second round of shots?" said Jane as she fished out another bottle of tequila.<p>

"Me !" I crooned, hugging my knees to my chest and shuddering slightly.

"Let me rephrase that. Who's up for a third round of shots except for Lils who's already had four ?" said Jane in a mock-serious tone. I playfully punched her and sat erect, clapping my hands. "Hey,girls! We should totally play Truth or Dare !"

" Lily, we aren't 12 ! Come on." said Alice as she passed us all pizza . "And, by the way since I came after you both, I caught a glimpse of Potter."

"No way! The James Potter? You have got to be kidding me !" said Jen, clutching her chest.

"James? Is that his first name? I didn't know. He's my bodyguard." I shrugged, sprinkling chilli flakes on my pizza.

"Shut up ! Shut up, Lily Evans ! Are you serious? Fuck, no!" said Marlene as she hit my back with a pillow.

"What? It's no big deal-"

"Where is he?" said Kate.

"Downstairs, in the kitchen. Listening to the radio." said Jane.

"Why didn't you tell us before? " said Jen as Mar hit Jane with the pillow this time.

"Drop it, girls. Jen, you , Kate and Marlene came first. Po and Lily came after you guys with James and they didn't bother mentioning him, so I thought yeah whatever." said Jane.

"Yeah whatever?" cried Jen, " This is James Potter, we are talking about. He's a freaking legend at Hogwarts. Head boy and Captain of the Griffindor Quidditch team. Leader of the Marauders along with Sirius Black. Highest NEWTs in his year and…well…no one really knows what he did after school…we all know that he became an Auror..but he just..disappeared after that.."

"Okay…what about Truth or Dare?" I said, looking at everyone. Jen gave me a disgusted look but thankfully didn't pursue the Potter topic anymore.

"You know what? It does sound like a good idea. We've been so busy lately and this is the first time we girls are having a sleepover ." said Marlene.

"Thanks, Mar ! I love you. Really ." I said, hugging her.

"I agree with drunk Lils. I'm in." said Kate as she passed us beer.

"Okay, great ! So, let's get this thing started people." said Jen as she placed the tequila bottle on the carpeted floor and we gathered in a circle around it , carrying pillows and cushions with us.

"Rules!" I said , " Same old game , but also that everyone except for the one the bottle's pointing at has to drink."

"Ooh, not bad !" said Jen as she spun the bottle. It ended up pointing at ..

"Kate ! T or D ?"

" Truth !"

"Oh boo. Okay , so where and at what age did you lose the big V ?" I said, as we all drank from our bottles of beer.

" Umm..I haven't lost it exactly.." she said, reaching for a slice of pizza.

" What is that supposed to mean? Yes or no?" said Po .

Alice whispered something in Mar's ear and they laughed. "Hey, we are sorry we've been away but do you guys mind sharing things with us?" I said, poking Mar.

"Okay, okay . I was with this guy in the final year-" began Kate.

"So,17 and in school!" said Po.

"But..let's say…the sausage didn't exactly lodge completely inside the buns." she said awkwardly.

"First of all, that was a really poor knob joke . And secondly,WHAT? He's that _big?_ Who is this guy ?" I said, looking at Mar and Alice who were giggling now.

"No, he's of normal size but he didn't go inside much." said Kate, blushing slightly.

"It's okay. I can handle this." said Po, " How much went in? This much?" she said indicating a huge gap between her thumb and index fingers.

"No, lesser." said Kate.

"This much?"

"No, lesser."

"How about this?"

"No, no."

We were all laughing by now. I don't know if it was the beer, the pizza, the wiener talk or just being with the girls..all of this was making me so irrationally happy..

"Okay, okay. That has to be it, I think."said Kate , finally.

"Kate, are you sure?" said Po, regarding her solemnly.

"Yes, yes. I'm sure."

"I'm sorry Kate, but you are a Virgin." she said,pausing deliberately after each word.

"Welcome to the nunnery !" I yelled, hugging Kate.

We all laughed as Jen turned the bottle again….and it stopped, pointing at …

"Lily ! T or D?" said Alice as everyone but me had a drink.

"Dare." I smirked. But no sooner had I said it, I knew it was going to be bad, really bad. I could see Po smirking back at me now as she whispered something in Alice's ear. Oh God.

"Okay Lily. I dare you to go downstairs to the kitchen, grab a few bottles of beer and then flirt with Potter .You are not allowed to change your clothes. And yeah, just so that we are on the same page, flirting here includes doing whatever that comes to your mind after…you drink 5 shots of tequila." finished Alice wickedly.

Oh God no..No, Merlin, No ! I looked down at what I was wearing..a pale green tank top , blue and white striped underwear and woollen socks..no way.. I swallowed as I watched everyone laugh and get my shots ready..

This was going to be the worst night ever..


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

James's POV

"Dude ! You were at a sleepover party with girls prancing around in their undies and it didn't even occur to you that you could've invited your bro ?" said Sirius , slamming his glass of fire whiskey on the dusty table.

"Oh yeah? What makes you think they would've let you in? And no, they were upstairs. I didn't see any of them in their …underwear." I paused slightly, taking a large draught of firewhiskey.

"Mate, I just don't get why you're so pissed off with this job. Its only for a while right? After that you can go back to your Auror office and do..okay what exactly do you do? Anyway, I'm running late for work. It's nearly 5." he said, rising and patting me on the shoulder.

"Later." I said and took a sip of firewhiskey. The drink warmed my insides, reminding me of a similar feeling I'd felt just a couple of hours ago..

On_e step on the staircase and my Auror-tuned ears knew that someone was climbing down. I was lying on the couch in the living room, my head resting on the soft , comfy material ,eyes closed and limbs spread apart .I don't remember the last time I lounged for so long. And yeah, ofcourse ..the radio! Its been ages . Maybe it's a good thing I'm doing this bodyguard thing. I seriously needed a break._

_With the sound of her muffled footsteps I could deduce easily that she was staggering a lot. I heard the fridge's door open and the sound of beer bottles clinking. She was in the kitchen , definitely searching for something._

"_Where is he?" I heard her voice and my eyes flew open. It was Lily. She was looking for me? Or maybe she's looking for the cat. The huge fluffy orange ball I nearly stomped on in the kitchen. Yeah, that must be it. I closed my eyes again._

_Only , that wasn't it. I could hear her coming towards the living room, the bottles clinking a bit loudly. She was drunk. Definitely drunk and swaying a lot._

_I heard her gasp and drop the bottles on the thick carpet. _

"_Fuck yea ! He's ..asleep." She crooned and laughed a bit hysterically, walking closer to me. I could feel her hand resting on the sofa's arm rest as it sunk a bit. "Hey, Mr ..Bodyguard. You know what the ..girls dared me.. to do? They dared me….to…to flirt..with you!" she said slowly and then laughed again. "Thank God you're sleeping…or else..no..wait…I don't know what I would've done..besides, you are always so boring! BOOOOO " _

_I could sense her coming closer to me, her breath was tickling my face a bit. She smelled of tequila. And in an hour, most definitely of vomit. "I don't like you at all Potter. You are..tall…and..have really messy hair and…you are just soooooooo boring…I swear I ..I think I..but you are good looking…in a rugged way I guess…I dunno..not as good looking as Nat. Oh no way..and your lips are thin! Not at all kissable..i don't even think my lips will fit ..not that I'm thinking of kissing you..coz' that's the last thing on my mind..yes..i mean.." I could feel her coming even closer, "seriously, the last…" our lips were inches away.."thing..ARGGHHHHHH..!" she shrieked as I suddenly opened my eyes and she fell on top of me. I held her by the waist, supporting her . She was half on the sofa and half on the definitely, half on me..I started feeling suddenly warm wherever her bare skin touched my arms. Her skin was so soft…so enticingly smooth..Her face was still inches away from mine. Her eyes widened as she stared into mine and I knew I should be helping her in a sitting position but a feeling of powerlessness was sweeping over me. She was beautiful, way too beautiful. The whole day, I've been seeing her as a pampered kid. But now as she lay on top of me, her eyes fixed on mine, I started seeing her for what seemed like the very first time. She had delicate, feminine , almost porcelain like features. Every feature was perfect. From her beautiful almond shaped emerald green eyes and glowing skin to her full, pink lips. 'Potter! Cut it out. She's Derek's daughter. She's off limits.' Said a voice inside my head. But damn it, why the fuck would I think rationally when such a beautiful girl was on top of me? A girl who didn't seem in a hurry to get up or run away abashedly. _

_Suddenly, I felt a great longing to know what was going through her mind. I don't know for how long we lay like that but I guess her leg had started to hurt, being in such an uncomfortable position that she winced and I helped her sit on the couch. _

"_Thanks." She said softly, tucking a strand of auburn hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry for waking you up." _

_She was wearing only a white underwear with..blue stripes under her short green tank top. I felt my nether areas stir impatiently as I saw the expanse of milky toned legs. Merlin, she was turning me on like hell. I wish I could go back in time and grab her once again when she slipped on the pool of water in her room yesterday. Oh no, now I was imagining what she would look like naked. Stop. She's Derek's daughter."It's okay. No probs." I said, forcing myself to look back into her eyes._

"_I'm so sorry for..for being such…a bitch yesterday." She said, swaying slightly. I held her around her waist, steadying her. She hiccupped, "Oops, sorry.. about that. I'm a wee bit drunk."_

"_A wee bit?" I smirked, leaning closer to her. She laughed and looked at me. "You know, I'm supposed… to do something now.." _

"_What?" _

_She rested one hand on my chest and leaned closer to my ear, "flirt with you." she whispered, leaving tingles all over my face. My hands reflexively grabbed her hips. The girl was being way too cruel. Her innocence was doing crazy things to me. All I knew was that I wanted her._

_I smacked my lips against hers and started kissing her furiously. She was a bit startled at first but was kissing me back now. We fell from the sofa on the floor, laughing .She was on top of me and my hands were roaming all over her body. I was trying to refrain from taking off her t-shirt and panties but it was becoming harder and harder by the second. I pushed her away slightly and watched her pant for breath as she raised herself . She was still on top of me but sitting on my abdomen , just a few inches from my crotch..she smiled at me and bit her lip as her fingers held the bottom of her t-shirt. No, no no no.._

_It was off..and on the floor beside us ..and I couldn't tear my eyes off them. Her full, round breasts , hidden behind a white padded bra. My eyes travelled down and raked over her slim waist and feminine curves..all in the right places..I was nearly fully erect now. Who wouldn't be? A beautiful girl was sitting on top of me wearing just a bra and knickers. Her lustrous auburn hair which fell till her elbow were hiding her back from me. I wanted to see more. Everything. I wanted her. _

'_STOP. This is wrong,JAMES !'_

"_Lily. We should stop now. " I said. I saw her face fall as she nodded and slid off me, gathered her clothes and wore them again. I looked at her sadly as I saw her cover herself up.I had to do this. I know I'll regret making a move on her as soon as she leaves. But.._

"_Oh..I don't feel that.." she said and threw up all over the rug on which we were making out just a few minutes ago. _

"_It's okay, I'll clear that up. Here have some water." I said, giving her a glass of water. "Thanks.." she murmured and had a sip. She kept the glass down and lay down on the floor. "I'm just …gonna…" I watched her yawn and close her eyes..Merlin, she was beautiful .._

_Someone was coming down. I got to my feet and quickly disapparated to the bathroom. _

"_Lils..! Wake up Lils..!" _

"_Hey. What's going on?" I said as I pretended to see Lily lying on the floor next to a pool of her own vomit for the first time. It was her blonde annoying, talkative friend. Po or whatever her name was wearing a black tank top and pink boxer shorts. Padfoot's gonna go crazy when he hears this story._

"_Where were you?" she asked me irritably._

"_I was in the bathroom. Would you care to explain why Miss Evans is in this condition? I don't think Mr Evans would be too happy to hear that -."_

"_Okay..please, please don't say anything to him. Okay? I'll make sure that Lily behaves properly from now on , okay? Just please, okay?" she begged, making perfect puppy-dog eyes._

"_Okay. But on one condition. You both have to return home now. Mr Evans is at work and I don't think he'd want to come back home and find his daughter's bed empty." I said, crossing my arms across my chest. That wasn't exactly my main concern. I had an entirely different intention .But I wasn't sure if my plan would work._

"_Okay. Give me 5 mins. I'll tell the girls and we can leave." She said, groaning._

" James ? Oh my God..I can't believe its really you!"

I looked up to see a leggy brunette walking toward my booth. Oh not her . Not now.

"Hi Amanda." I said lazily. What was she doing here? At this hour?

"Oh my God! Long time, right ? I missed you so much." she said, sitting beside me on the couch. She was wearing a rather tight blouse which showed a generous amount of cleavage. If it was any other night I would've quickly gotten us a room together. But not tonight. I was way too tired and worried sick out of my mind.

"Not tonight, woman." I said, patting her thigh. "I should be leaving now. Later." I said, placing two sickles on the table and nodded at her. As I pushed the bar's door and stepped outside, I closed my eyes for a few seconds. Okay, a few more hours..And then I'll know..

* * *

><p>It was ten thirty. I had been in her room thrice already. This was the fourth time . She was still asleep. She had pushed the covers down and was curled up in a fetal position. The long wait was killing me. To be honest, I was scared of what would happen when she'd wake up. Would she be mad at me for taking advantage of her? She wouldn't tell Derek for sure. But what if she does? It was stupid of me. So damn stupid of me. She's Derek's daughter. Derek, who gave me a second life. Who saved me from death. I owe him my life. And this is how I repay him? I have to resign..I cant stay here anymore.. I did think of altering her memory .But I just couldn't do it..every time I raised my wand, the events of last night would flash in front of my eyes. It was as if a part of me was hopeful..hopeful that she'd remember..hopeful that she'd smile at me and let me kiss her and hold her again..fuck! James , focus man!<p>

"Mmmm…"

She was moaning now. Wait..okay..

She kicked the covers further down and groaned, shielding her eyes from the morning light. She sat up on the bed and lifted her shirt a bit , her hands running back to..shut her bra clasp! She yawned again, raising both hands above her head. Then with a "Owww.." she massaged her forehead. "That hurts…"

Finally, she opened her eyes and blinked. Once. Twice.

"OH MY GOD. GET THE FUCK OUTTA MY ROOM YOU FREAK !" she shouted, covering herself with the duvet.

Thank Merlin. Yes. She doesn't remember. She doesn't remember a damn thing.

"POPPY! "

The house elf apparated within seconds. "Goodmorning Miss Evans, Mr Potter."

"Poppy, where is dad? And what the fuck is he doing in my room? GET OUT !" she yelled glaring at me.

I tried hard to supress my smile as I nodded and left the room.

"What is that sound?" I saw Po step out of her room, yawning. "Oh, hey!" she smiled looking at me.

"Miss Evans doesn't remember anything from last night and given her temper, its better if you don't remind her." I said. I knew perfectly well that the girl had a crush on me . "Or else, Mr Evans is going to kick me out."

"Oh no! Don't worry, I won't say a word to her." She smiled.

Good, that takes care of things.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"You have got to be kidding me." I moaned as Poppy reminded us that we were running late for the lame prize distribution event.

"Mr Evans,sir wants Miss Evans to wear these." She said , handing me a shopping bag. Po entered the room, dressed already in an impeccable pale pink cardigan-blouse and a skirt .

"Oh , that's just great! Why don't you become his daughter! You are doing everything right. From being super excited about these lame events to tolerating the bodyguard." 

"Lils , shut up. And you know very well that I have a huge crush on Mr Bodyguard and the enthusiasm shit is because of that. Du-uh."

I laughed heartily as I unravelled my dress from the bag.

"Wow" Po and me said in unison. 

It was a gorgeous white lace dress with tiny beautiful flower cutwork throughout .There was a satin slip underneath to ensure no skin show. Du-uh, dad bought this. I shed off my bath robe and wore the dress.

"Oh my God! Its so feminine and posh!" said Po smiling at me , "And ahem..a wee bit short, don't you think?"

I looked in the mirror to see the dress reach mid-thigh length. I knew what she meant. But hey, this was good. "I appreciate dad's progress of thinking." I smirked. " Hey, I think I know just how to sexy it up."

I rummaged through my drawer and found the perfect belt. It was dark brown with similar cutwork. I tied it below my bust and turned to Po.

"Gorgeous ! How about a sexy pair of strappy sandals?"

"I know just the one." I exclaimed. 

10 mins later , I was staring at my reflection in the mirror..

I was wearing gorgeous pale pink suede strappy sandals and a matching slingbag. My hair had been magically straightened and they framed my face amazingly. I had kept the makeup to a minimal but the nude gloss was totally working. I never knew I could feel so good by dressing up..

"Babe, we're getting late. Come on!" said Po

We hurried downstairs to find Potter waiting crossly by the car.

He barely even looked at me. I mean, us. We got into the car and laughed , excitement coursing through us.

* * *

><p>"Golf? Golf? Muggle golf?"<p>

"Lils, calm down love. Everything's going to be okay."

"No! I cant believe it turned out to be this! I've been to like, so many different events okay ! Like , Quidditch and Books and wizard chess and hell, even Exploding Snap before they decided to-"

"Lils, please calm , take a sip of juice and breathe okay?" said Po, squeezing my hand gently.

I did as instructed and looked back into her eyes, "Okay, Lils. Kay, Lils. You are looking fab today. Everyone is checking you out , you are stunning, kay?And if he happens to be here, he'll be checking you out too and he'll realise what a douche he's been to string you along and play with your feelings, okay? Coz' today, its definitely a win-win situation for you."

I listened to her and felt a bit of tension easing from my body, feeling instantly relaxed. She was right , I guess. Yes ofcourse, I looked stunning today. And I'm going to make that arse pay if I see him, that is.

"Kay, Lils..am I getting through to you?Love ,are you –"

"Yes, thanks Po. You're the best." I said , hugging her .

"Oh thank god! Now I've gotta go. Just got the owl and its urgent –"

"Yea, sure . No probs. Bye! "

"Toodles! "

Okay. I'm on my own now. That's not good. Drink! I need a drink. I walked straight to the juice bar and ordered for a peach cooler. It's surprisingly good for my nerves. Sipping the drink, I lowered my hat over my face and surveyed the garden. So , dad's busy with reporters and photographers. The event hasn't started yet. I still have time to ditch this thing. He won't be here , right? I mean, he has a job now. I don't think Aurors get time to play golf! I'm being paranoid. There's nothing to worry about.

My gaze fell on Potter who was standing a few yards away from my booth and talking to some guy with long black hair. I got up and walked up to him, clearing my throat rather ostentatiously.

"Yes, Miss Evans." He said, walking towards me.

"Okay. Listen.I know how you and I don't get along that well but..okay, see.."

"He's not here." he said in a bored voice.

"Oh. Okay, thanks." I said, startled. "Umm..so..er..that's all." I said, looking around.

"Okay." he said, his expression mockingly grave.

"Okay." I repeated, turning around. "Hey! Why should I leave? You walk away!"

"Okay." he said, raising both hands.

As I watched him walk away, strange thoughts started creeping into my mind. Thoughts of the kiss-the-crap-out-of-him persuasion. I shook my head, as if to shake off those disturbing thoughts. Where did that come from? Okay, I'm not going to lie to myself. He is rather attractive…in a rugged sort of way. Definitely not as attractive as Nat but…Why do my thoughts have such a deja'-vooey feeling?Have I thought of this before? It must be because of Po . Maybe she mentioned something like that. Only , ofcourse I wasn't really listening.

"Lily!"

Bugger…dad !

"Lily! What are you doing here all alone? Where's Pomona? You should be socialising sweetheart! Not sticking out like a sore thumb."

"She had to leave-"

"That's ok . Come with me now, there are a lot of people here who want to meet you. There's the Chairman of the club,his wife and family..." I nodded as he kept going on about the list of people I was supposed to meet, thanking Merlin that none of them included Nathaniel Mason.

* * *

><p>"I'm baaack !" Po announced dramatically as she entered my room and collapsed on my bed. " Should I be worried?"<p>

"No." I said, lying beside her. "Dad made me 'socialize'."

"Tsk-tsk! But hey, better than Mason, right?" she said, staring at the ceiling.

"I know..better than Mason."

"When is the St Mungos program starting?" asked Po, conjuring shiny stars on the ceiling.

"It was supposed to start around this week or the next. Not sure. Remind me to ask daddy."

"Yep. Why do you sound so low?"

I sighed heavily and shook my head, " I feel like a failure..I mean, look at me ! I'm nearly 18 years old right? And have I managed to 'discover myself' and 'know the real me' in these 18 years? No! I'm still a geeky girl who was stupid enough to fall in love with a guy who doesn't give a shit about her. Who was so freakishly stupid that she did his homework even though she was thousands of miles away ….and who wrote him letters …letters which he probably never bothered to read and used to dispose off chewing gum…stupid…stupid girl who still thinks that..that…it was her fault..that , that he didn't ask her out..and.." I was crying like a baby now, staring at the ceiling through tear filled eyes. "and…stupid,stupid,stupid girl..who"

"What are you doing?" said Po, still decorating the ceiling with stars.

"Ummm…" I swallowed thickly, my voice trembling with all the sobbing, "Self-actualizing?"

"Okay, keep it down will you?" she said, waving her wand, turning the ceiling a brilliant shade of midnight blue.

"Oh..okay..I know I must be boring you…" I said, blowing my nose noisily on the sheets. Disgusting, I know. " Maybe that's why….why Nat didn't wanna…"

"Okay stop." said Po suddenly, sitting upright. "Watch your words missy! This is my best friend you're talking about who FYI is the sweetest , smartest and sexiest girl I know. So if you call her a failure or stupid or boring, I swear I'll punch you in the face."

I was taken aback by her sudden outburst. Blinking away my tears, I sat up and allowed a tiny sob to escape. "Oh , Po! I love you." I said, hugging her.

"Love you too, Lils!" she cried , hugging me back . "Okay, what's the time?"

"Umm…around 12 I guess. Oh my god, can you believe it? That stupid event went on for like forever!" I said, lying back on the bed next to Po.

"Hmm…I know! And it's not 12 yet." she said, staring at the ceiling.

"Ohkaaay…?" I said, following her gaze. That's when I noticed it. The tiny shiny stars Po had conjured were moving now. I watched fascinated as they swirled around in a blur of glitz and shimmer…they seemed to be forming some sort of shapes.. alphabets…

"Po , what are you doing?"

"Shh. Watch."

The stars had stopped moving. They now read….'Happy Birthday Lily!'

"Merlin!" I cried. Suddenly there were loud 'pop' sounds resonating throughout the room. People were apparating in my bedroom.

Jane…

Alice..

Marlene..

Jen..

Kate..

Poppy..

Dad..

Potter...!

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

I was engulfed in the crowd of people as they all rushed to hug me. Well, everyone except dad and Potter. Oh my God..this was a real surprise..I had forgotten my birthday and here they were..my closest friends at 12 pm..in my tiny room to wish me .

"Happy birthday, princess ." said Dad.

"Thank you dad." I said, wiping away tears of joy. Honestly, why can't I stop crying?

"Love you, kiddo. It was all Pomona's idea." He smiled. Then in a louder voice, he addressed everyone, "I have presents for Lily and Pomona in my pocket . Lily, happy birthday. Pomona, thanks for taking up the task of organizing the party tomorrow."

"What? Party?" I said, looking from dad to Po.

"Yes, silly ! You're the Minister's daughter. Its going to be epic!" Po said, giving Jane a High-five.

"Anyway, here you go ladies." Said dad as he drew out two envelopes from his pocket.

Me and Po reached for our respective envelopes. One glance at the seal and my heart was hammering inside my chest.

St Mungos.

Honestly, I can't open this now! With all these people in the room..it's freaking me out. What was dad thinking? I looked at Po. She was staring at her envelope too, her hands shaking a bit.

"Mr Evans, maybe we should give them some time.." said Jen.

"Yes, that would be better I guess. Anyway, you girls should be heading back home. See you at the party !" I heard dad say. I didn't tear my gaze from the menacing envelope, nor did I bother to say goodbye to the others. Po was in the same condition. When the door finally closed shut, we both sank onto the carpeted floor, staring at each other.

"Po.."

"I know!"

"I'm so sorry for this! Dad's gone bonkers. He shouldn't have done it this way."

"I know! It's okay. He's a weird ol' man but you know he loves you."

"Yeah…what are you thinking?"

"Umm…that I didn't work hard enough, that I could've done better and how I wish to go back in time and study a whole lot harder."

"Okay, okay ..listen." I said, holding her hand, "We can do this okay? If we don't get through, we still have each other, our friends and family. This isn't the end of the world. We can try for this again, right?"

"Right. And..and if only one of us doesn't get through, we'll be happy for the other person and..and.." Po shut her eyes tight and squeezed my hand. I knew this was harder for her. I on some level knew that even if I didn't get through, dad could always pull a few strings. It wasn't the same for her.

"Okay..so let's open it , kay?" I said, holding the envelope in both hands.

Po nodded in consent. I took a deep breath and opened it. My mind was racing as I took out the letter and my eyes flew across the page , searching for the words. It happened so fast. The words were infront of me, my heart beat accelerating with every word I read.'_Miss Lily Evans…pleased to inform…accepted…congratulations'_

My heart was still beating fast, adrenaline surging through my blood as I looked at Po. I didn't need to ask her . Her expression gave it away.

"OH MY GOD !" I yelled as we hugged each other tight.

"We did it Lils , we did it !" cried Po.

Suddenly , there were cries of 'Congrats', 'way to go girls!' , 'so proud of you!' and people hugging us from everywhere. I looked around surprised to realise that they were all waiting outside. I hugged everyone back and shook hands with Potter. It was weird , having him with us in this private moment. But I was too happy to care. This has to be the best birthday ever.

* * *

><p>" How do I look?" I said, looking uncertainly at my reflection in the mirror.<p>

"Stunning. How many times do I have to tell you?" said Po, not even bothering to look at me. "Look, I gotta run. I'll send Poppy over to your room when it's time ok?"

"Okie!" I said with my best , widest and most fake smile.

"Hey! I have no time for any drama ok? This is your birthday party and you are supposed to be cool and laid back, ok? Me and the girls will take care of everything else, okay? Now shoo. Let me go and entertain the few lame guests who were the first ones to show up. Toodles!"

"Bye, hostzilla." I mumbled, gathering the many, many layers of my stupid skirt as I turned to survey my reflection in the mirror. This was the silliest, most brilliant theme party. Renaissance. I wanted to dress up as a peasant but the utterly appalled look on Po's face warned me to shut up for my own sake. So now I was dressed like a regular 18th century princess (oh my God, I'm _so_ going to kill Po..!) . The whole concept was so absurd and discriminative. I know for a fact that if I'm dressed up as Royalty, Po would have made sure that the others were dressed according to their professional status. Which is , like I said, downright _medieval _and discriminative. Oh, well I guess that's the point. And as if all this wasn't enough, it was a masquerade party. Yep, an 18th century masquerade party. Yipee! NOT.

So now when I look at myself in the mirror, I see a petite girl forced into a black corset and red dress with a huge , huge skirt! Oh, and she was wearing a push-up bra so that her normally insufficiently endowed chest looked more like a totally sultry C-cup! Ok, I'm pretty sure the women used to dress in lighter shades and, not look like_ hookers_! Oh my God, I look like a dirty hooker at my own birthday party.

There was a sudden 'pop' sound and I let out a startled shriek. "Oh, Poppy! Gosh, you scared me!"

"It's time, Miss Lily Evans."

This is going to go horribly wrong, what am I doing? This is not me! Why don't my boobs stay inside the damn corset! How the fuck am I supposed to have fun when I can't even breathe?

I opened my door and a loud blast of music hit me. Atleast the music's cool. I had my mask on, green and sequined made from pure silk. It was the only part of my costume that I actually _liked_. Kind of made me feel protected.

I reached the head of the staircase and could feel all eyes on me. For a second, I froze ; staring at the sea of people. All dressed in various styles . Ok Lily, lift one foot and place it on the step. Come on, you can do it. Oh my God, who the fuck am I kidding? Suddenly, I felt someone's arm around my waist. It was dad! Thank Merlin! I smiled with relief as me and dad walked down the stairway. People were cheering and applauding now, yelling 'Happy birthday'.

Finally, I made it to the living room floor,only to be surrounded by people, all eager to meet me and wish me. People, whom I'd never met before. Thanks a _lot_,dad!

* * *

><p>"Lils, come on!" said Po rescuing me from the Minister of France and his wife.<p>

"Oh my God! I love you! Seriously." I said as we walked over to the girls. They were all sniggering excitedly and dressed in equally ridiculous outfits. "Umm…what's going on?"

" Lily! Happy birthday!" sniggered Marlene. "So , do you like the party?"

"Ummm…I …sure! It's cool !" I lied and raised my brow as I watched everyone laugh. "Hey, what's going on , guys?"

"Did you honestly think that we'd throw_ this_ party for you?" snorted Po.

"What? No..i mean..okay , what am I supposed to say ?" I said, rubbing my nose.

"All this," said Kate raising her skinny arms, "was a distraction."

"Wait..what?" I said, looking from her to Po.

"Yep. Come now." Said Po, holding my hand and pushing me into a room with the others.

"What's going on?" I said, realising how the girls had pushed me into one of the dark, rarely used rooms in the mansion.

"Shutup. It took us some time to come up with this, but it's pretty much protected by some pretty impressive charms , courtesy Alice."

"Thank you, thank you." said Alice, bowing with mock-modesty. She flicked her wand and suddenly the room filled with light. I blinked as I took in the surroundings. Cushions, futons, beautiful curtains, a bar, dance floor, disco ball!

"Oh my God!" I yelled, hugging everyone. " Fuck! You guys did this for me?"

"Of course you fool! Happy birthday." cried Po as music blasted across the room. We looked insanely out of place in our outfits. As if in response to my concern, Po ripped off my skirt, leaving me in my black underwear.

"No, you didn't just do that!" I cried, lunging for her skirt. After a few minutes of ripping each others poofy skirts off, all of us were dressed in nothing more than a corset , underwear and stilletoes.

The next few hours passed in a haze…tequila shots, crazy laughter, sexy dancing, gossiping and god knows what not!

All I can say is that I wasn't drunk enough to forget everything that happened. Atleast not what happened when the door flung open and James Potter stepped inside.

I was dancing with Po like…well, a stoned hooker when he came in. Po looked absolutely alarmed. Po had agreed that she would stay sober so as to keep things in check and now I could see sheer panic reflected in her blue irises.

" What is he doing here?" she hissed, her brow furrowed.

"Wait. Let me handle this." I said, planting both hands firmly on my hips.

I walked , swaying my hips deliberately and stopped inches away from him. I didn't have a clue what I was doing but all I knew was that he was looking incredibly hot! He was dressed in one of those weird old fashioned clothes. With those shirts with their collars sticking out and the long coats and tight fitting pants with those long boots or whatever.

" What do you think you are doing here?" I enunciated each word with a poke at his chest.

" Hmm..I was thinking of asking you pretty much the same." he said, looking at me intently with those disturbingly beautiful hazel eyes.

"Really?" I laughed, a bit hysterically, "You know what? I'm sick of you trying to ruin my vacations, okay? Sick of you following me around everywhere. You think you are soooo good..but you're not !" I cried, not even sure of what I was talking about anymore.

He cocked a brow as if he found me deeply amusing, "I follow you around because I'm your bodyguard."

"Well, I don't need a fucking babysitter!" I said, my face inches from him and then it happened.

I don't know if it was the booze or the music or the way we were standing so close or how absurdly hot he looked.

Because before I could realise what I was doing, I had leaned closer to him and _kissed _him! And he was kissing back! The last thing I remembered was hi pushing me away gently and me throwing up all over his boots.


End file.
